The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1887-09-28
A Gold Medal.

| shall never forget lesson | re-
ceived when at school at A. We saw a
boy named Watson driving COW to
pasture. In the evening he drove her
back again, we did not know where.
and this was continued several weeks.
The boys attending the school were
nearly all sons of wealthy parents, and
some of them were ounces enough to
to drive a COW.
With admirable good nature Watson
bore all their attempts to annoy him.
Z" suppose, Watson" said Jackson,
another boy, one day, "your father in
tends to make a milkman of you?n
Why not?" asked Watson.
"Oh, nothing. Only don't leave too
much water in the cans after you rinse
them, that's ALL"
The boys laughed, and Watson, not
in the least mortified, replied: "Never
fear. If ever / am milkman I'll give
good measure and good milk"
The day after this conversation there
was public examination, at which
ladies and gentlemen from the neigh
boring towns were present and prizes
were awarded by the principal of our
school, and both Watson and Jackson
received a creditable number, for, in re-
spect to scholarship, they were about
equal. After the ceremony of distribu-
ton the principal remarked that there
was one prize, consisting of gold
medal, aChich aCdS rarely awarded, not
so much on account of its great cost
as because the instances were rare
which rendered its bestowal proper. 1t
was the prize of heroism. The last
medal was awarded about three years
ago to boy in the first class who res
cued poor girl from drowning.
The principal then said that, with the
permission of the company, he would
relate a short anecdote:
Not long since some boys were
flying kite in the street Just as a poor
lad on horseback rode by on his way to
the mill. The horse took fright and
threw the boy, iniuring him so badly
that he was carried home and confined
some weeks to his bed. OF the boys
who had unintentionally caused the
disaster none followed to learn the
fate of the wounded lad. There was
one boy, however. who witnessed the
accident from a distance who not only
went to make inquiries but stayed to
render service.
"This boy soon learned that the
wounded boy was the grandson of
poor widow, whose sole support con-
sisted in selling the milk of COW of
which she was the owner. She was
old and lame and her grandson, on
whom she depended to drive her COW
to pasture, was now helpless with his
bruises. Never mind, good woman
said the boy, / will drive the cow
"But his kindness did not stop there.
the apothecary. : / have money that
my mother sent me to buy pair of
boots with said he, but l can do
without them for awhile oh no.
said the old woman, can't consent
to that; but here is pair of heavy
boots that l bought for Thomas, who
can't wear them. If you would only
buy these we should get on nicely
The boy bought the boots, clumsy as
they were, and has worn them up to
this time.
Well, when it was discovered by
the other boys at the school that our
scholar was in the habit of driving a
COW he was assailed every day with
laughter and ridicule. His cowhide
boots in particular were made matter
of mirth. But he kept on, cheerfully
and bravely, day after day, never shun-
ming observation, driving the widows
COW and wearing his thick boots. He
never explained why he drove the COW,
for he was not inclined to make boast
of his charitable motives. 1t was by
mere accident that his kindness and
self-denial was discovered by his
! teacher
"And now, ladies and gentleman, l
ask you, was there not true heroism in
this boys conduct? Nay, Master Wat
son, do not get out of sight behind the
| blackboard. You were not afraid of
ridcule; you must not be afraid of
praise"
As Watson, with blushing cheeks,
came forward, a round of applause
spoke the general appreciation, and the
medal was presented to him amid the
cheers of the audience. - Children'S O,Cn.